AS INTERFACES DO ENSINO RELIGIOSO NA EDUCAÇÃO INFANTIL: DESAFIOS E OPORTUNIDADES

Abstract

Religious Education in Early Childhood Education constitutes a sensitive and complex theme, especially in a secular country such as Brazil, where cultural and religious plurality must be respected within the school environment. The presence of this field of experience in the education of young children requires pedagogical approaches that value diversity, promote tolerance, and foster the holistic development of students. In this context, the present study aims to analyze the interfaces of Religious Education in Early Childhood Education, focusing on the challenges and opportunities presented in the school context, particularly regarding religious diversity, impartiality in teaching, and teacher training. It seeks to answer the following question: Given Brazil’s religious diversity and the legal requirements for a secular and impartial education, how do teachers in the Early Childhood Education Project address the challenges of approaching Religious Education in an inclusive and ethical manner? The methodology adopted was bibliographic research, based on authors who discuss religious education in childhood, the secularity of the State, and the national curricular guidelines for Early Childhood Education. The study also involved field research with semi-structured interviews conducted through Google Forms with five teachers from the Kennedy Educa Mais Project in Presidente Kennedy – ES. The results indicate that the main challenges involve initial and continuing teacher education, the absence of adequate teaching materials, and the confusion between personal religiosity and institutionalized religion, which may lead to proselytism. On the other hand, when conducted in a critical, reflective, and cultural way, Religious Education can significantly contribute to the construction of values such as respect, empathy, and democratic coexistence from the earliest years of schooling.